LEXINGTON, Ky. (WHAS11) -- A University of Kentucky freshman secretly recorded police officers 'busting' into his room. The viral YouTube video led to one campus officer's termination. It was seen by hundreds of thousands of people and sparked thousands of comments.
Click here to see the full unedited video on YouTube. WARNING: viewers may find some language offensive.
Kentucky freshman, Graham Gaddis, lives in Haggin Hall. What happened inside the dorm with campus police ignited a firestorm of controversy.
WHAS11 broke the news to the freshmen when the officer was fired.
'I guess I'm excited about it. I guess he violated my rights,' Gaddis said.
The University of Kentucky Police Department released the following statement Wednesday. 'After a thorough internal investigation, the officer in question has been terminated from his employment at the University of Kentucky, effective immediately. The officer in question had inappropriate physical contact with a student. The officer, as a result, was in violation of a number of university employment policies.' Chief Joe Monroe, University of Kentucky Police Department
Gaddis set up a hidden camera on his computer over the weekend when a resident hall assistant told him officers were coming.
'Something happened that was kind of funny and I said I should record this and then I sneakily recorded it,' Gaddis said.
After several minutes of the student cussing and arguing, police shoved their way into his dorm room without consent.
'I wasn't the nicest guy, but, I did it for a reason. When I dealt with cops here and I was nice about it they told me they were going to beat me up,' Gaddis said.
Gaddis had no idea his YouTube video would go viral. The officers accused him of dumping alcohol out of his dorm window and having more in Haggin Hall, an all male dorm with more than 500 students.
The university's official residence policy allows police to enter dorm rooms but does not allow searches without warrants and permission. 'Authorization to enter a student's room under this policy does not constitute authorization to conduct a search of the room,' the policy says.
'I was like nice this is what I was waiting for and hoping,' Gaddis said.
Gaddis tells WHAS11 he was sober and had no booze in his dorm and that police searched his refrigerator and found ranch dressing.
As for UofL, police need a search warrant to enter dorm rooms. Unless it's an emergency or maintenance issue.
